


The Chrysanthemum

by Lucy410



Category: due South
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 06:40:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29309709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lucy410/pseuds/Lucy410
Summary: Ray always celebrates Valentine's Day.
Relationships: Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski
Comments: 11
Kudos: 19
Collections: Due South Archive, Flower Crown Day 2021





	The Chrysanthemum

Valentine's Day, no... Saint Valentine's Day, his mother had always insisted on the saint part, was a big deal in the Kowalski household. His father always bought his mother flowers on the big day, always, without fail, even the year he'd been in hospital after a hernia operation and he had pressed twenty dollars into Ray's hand and given him precise instructions as to what he was to buy and where he was to buy it from. 

He had tried to replicate his father's winning formula with Stella, but it hadn't quite worked out. Stella had always maintained that she hated the holiday, but he persisted nonetheless and she had never actually thrown the flowers back in his face. Well, except for that last year, the year after their divorce had been finalised, when she had told him very slowly and in precise anatomical detail what he could do with his bunch of roses and lilies. 

After that he had tried to forget about the day, although he had continued to send a card to his mother and last year he arranged for five red roses to be delivered to Frannie, the smile on her face had been worth it, and he'd made sure that she wouldn't be able to find out they were from him. 

This year he had planned on doing the same but... This year, Ray's train of thought on the subject ran out of steam at the point where he had to think about the one person he really wanted to send a gift to this year. 

Fraser. 

He had racked his brain and eventually Ray decided on finding a maple leaf and having it encased in a resin block. The leaf had been procured from one of Chicago's many parks and he carefully curated it to ensure it would be in the best condition possible by February. The decision to add a chrysanthemum to the design had made his heart pound, would Fraser understand the message? 

Ray had chosen the brightest yellowyist flower possible. Of course he had had to buy a whole bunch of them and he'd put the remainder in a vase on his desk, thus earning himself a few teasing comments from the other detectives. Fraser though, Fraser had just looked at them and then at Ray. 

"May I?" 

Ray nodded, and Fraser bent forward to snag one of the flowers, carefully placing it between the pages of his notebook. 

He hadn't asked Fraser why and the Mountie had offered no explanation for his actions, but Ray had watched spellbound as Fraser gently handled the flower and he blushed when his thoughts strayed to wondering if Fraser would ever touch him like that. 

Ray had asked a local gift shop to arrange for the maple leaf and the chrysanthemum head to be enclosed in a resin block, and he was on his way to collect the gift. 

The store owner was busy with another customer so Ray wandered around the shelves looking at snow globes and other knickknacks while he waited. 

"Here you are, Mr Kowalski." The young woman brought a wrapped object up from under the desk. "I hope it's all right." 

Ray stuck his hands behind his back to stop himself from trying to help the woman as she unwrapped the block. 

"It's not exactly what you asked for," she explained, as the last layer of tissue paper fell away. "But I"m afraid this was the only shape left in the workshop." 

It was beautiful, the vivid red of the leaf complimented the bright yellow of the chrysanthemum as he had hoped it would, and it was perfect, apart from the fact that the block in his hands was heart-shaped. 

Ray stared at it and smiled. It wasn't exactly what he had asked for but it was exactly what he wanted. There were things he had been thinking and not saying for some time now, there were things he was pretty sure Fraser had been thinking and not saying as well, maybe this would tip the balance. 

Ray dug into his pocket for his wallet. "It's perfect." 

The woman beamed at him. "You've got one lucky girlfriend. I wish my fiance would put half this much effort into choosing my gift." 

St Valentine's Day dawned bright and clear and Ray found that he couldn't wait to see Fraser. A whole cloud of butterflies had erupted in his stomach and Ray smiled to himself as he showered, he hadn't felt like this in a long time. 

The morning dragged, but just as Ray was beginning to think he should go the consulate, who should walk into the squad room but Fraser. 

Ray tracked his progress across the room. He said hello to Frannie and admired the bunch of flowers sitting on her desk, he nodded to Huey and Dewey and then, there he was. Standing next to Ray's desk, twisting his hat in his hands, looking for all the world as if he had something he wanted to say to Ray. 

"Ray---" 

Ray stood up, he had to do this now before his courage expired. 

"I've got something for you. Here." He trust the gift bag at Fraser. "Happy Saint Valentine's Day."

The Mountie looked down at the bag and then back up at Ray, curiosity and slight puzzlement in his expression. 

"Open it." Ray folded his arms across his chest and tried not to look as if his entire future was riding on Fraser's reaction. 

The block was heavy and Ray saw Fraser frown. He opened his mouth to say something but then thought better of it and so he shut it again. 

The layers of tissue paper were coming off and as the last one fell away a beatific smile appeared on Fraser's face. He turned the block over in his hands, examining it from all angles and then he looked at Ray. 

Oftentimes he found Fraser hard to read, but not this time. This time he could see the love in Fraser's eyes, knew it was for him. 

"I thought the maple leaf worked for you, seeing as you're a Mountie and well..." He was babbling, like a mountain stream but he stopped the moment Fraser opened his mouth. 

"There's no better flower to sum you up, Ray. Thank you." 

He thought for a moment that Fraser might kiss him but instead the man simply reached out and took Ray's hand. 

They stood, holding hands in the middle of the squad room as if there was no one else there, and smiling like idiots. 

Really, Ray found himself thinking, of all the Valentine's Days he had ever had, this one was his favourite.


End file.
